Best Picture6 Forest Gump7 Driving Miss Daisy8 Midnight Cowboy9 Ben Hur10 Schindler's List11 Platoon12 Braveheart13 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest14 West Side Story15 On The Waterfront16 Silence of the Lambs17 Casablanca18 The Godfather19 Rocky20 The Godfather Part II

Chick Flicks20 Gone With The Wind19 The Princess Bride18 When Harry Met Sally17 Thelma and Louise16 Dirty Dancing15 From Here to Eternity15 Love Actually13 Ghost12 Titanic12 The Color Purple10. Pretty Woman10. Steel Magnolias8. A League of Their Own7. The Notebook6 Beaches

Disney Songs20 When You Wish Upon a Star19 Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah18 Beauty and the Beast17 Under the Sea16 A Whole New World15 The Ballad of Davy Crockett14 Hakuna Matada13 Heigh Ho12. It's A Small World11 Circle of Life10 Chim Chim Cheree9 Can You Feel the Love Tonight8 A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes7 The Bare Necessities6 Mickey Mouse March

20. Beauty and the Beast19. Snow White18. Pinocchio17. Cinderella16. The Lion King15. Pirates of the Carribean14. 101 Dalmations13. Mary Poppins12. Bambi11. Finding Nemo10. The Incredibles9. Alice In Wonderland8. Fantasia7. Song of the South6. Donald in Mathmagic Land

20- Over the Rainbow19- The Sound of Music18- Singin' In the Rain17- As Time Goes By16- White Christmas15- Born to be Wild14- My Heart Will Go On13. Don't You Forget About Me12- Mrs. Robinson11- Purple Rain10- Dueling Banjos9- Footloose8- Ghostbusters7- Eye Of the Tiger6- You're the Best

20. Memory19. Old Man River18. Seventy Six Trombones17. Seasons of Love16. One15. America14. If I Were A Rich Man13. The Impossible Dream12. There's No Business Like Show Business11. Sunrise, Sunset10. Tomorrow9. Luck, Be A Lady8. I Feel Pretty7. Easy to be Hard6. Oklahoma!

Since we have no judges yet, let me go over MY rules regarding the categories:

First of all, in general, this is a popular culture draft. Meaning that the question of impact on American culture should take precedence over excellence in most categories. There are a couple of examples where this does not really matter- for instance, movie theme. I doubt any movie theme selected will have too much impact on culture; therefore, it should simply be drafted based on which is the best. Now, here are some notes:

Album cover- Need not have originated in America.

Animal celebrity- Could be film or TV star, athlete, famous pet, or mascot.

Animated character- from film or television

Best Picture- must have won the Academy Award for best picture.

Bluesman- Any blues performer will do- not a band, must be a single person (though not necessarily a solo performer.)

Breakfast Cereal- with only a very few exceptions, looking for brand names here

Candy- This one needn't be a brand name selection, so long as it's had an impact on our culture

Candy bar- brand names only

Celebrity scandal- wide open so long as at least one famous person is involved

Celebrities who died young- I'm setting the cutoff at 35

Chick flick- romantic comedy

Comic Strip- there's over 100 years of material here

Country Musician- could be a singer or performer

Criminal- anyone suspected or convicted of a crime or multiple crimes

Dance- any series of dance moves that goes by a name, and has an impact on culture

Disney Movie- animated, live action, or both

Disney Song- must originate in a Disney movie or TV show

Fictional Criminal- from movies, TV, or literature

Fictional Hero- from movies, TV, or literature

Funny Person- stand up, movies, TV, radio, etc.

Guns- hand held pistol, rifle, shotgun, etc. Need not have originated in US.

(General Malaise @ Apr 23 2010, 04:26 PM) I fat fingered my way to friend PETA, confusing the hell out of my friends for a few minutes. I deleted it as soon as I could, then went out and ate a Bald Eagle.

Since we have no judges yet, let me go over MY rules regarding the categories:

First of all, in general, this is a popular culture draft. Meaning that the question of impact on American culture should take precedence over excellence in most categories. There are a couple of examples where this does not really matter- for instance, movie theme. I doubt any movie theme selected will have too much impact on culture; therefore, it should simply be drafted based on which is the best. Now, here are some notes:

Album cover- Need not have originated in America.

Animal celebrity- Could be film or TV star, athlete, famous pet, or mascot.

Animated character- from film or television

Best Picture- must have won the Academy Award for best picture.

Bluesman- Any blues performer will do- not a band, must be a single person (though not necessarily a solo performer.)

Breakfast Cereal- with only a very few exceptions, looking for brand names here

Candy- This one needn't be a brand name selection, so long as it's had an impact on our culture

Candy bar- brand names only

Celebrity scandal- wide open so long as at least one famous person is involved

Celebrities who died young- I'm setting the cutoff at 35

Chick flick- romantic comedy

Comic Strip- there's over 100 years of material here

Country Musician- could be a singer or performer

Criminal- anyone suspected or convicted of a crime or multiple crimes

Dance- any series of dance moves that goes by a name, and has an impact on culture

Disney Movie- animated, live action, or both

Disney Song- must originate in a Disney movie or TV show

Fictional Criminal- from movies, TV, or literature

Fictional Hero- from movies, TV, or literature

Funny Person- stand up, movies, TV, radio, etc.

Guns- hand held pistol, rifle, shotgun, etc. Need not have originated in US.

I'm hoping people will sell me on why their selection is worthy of high marks in this draft. With so many possible choices, this category can be viewed from a lot of angles and a good argument can/will really make a difference. I don't want to list certain things I'm looking for and have everyone fall in line to meet those guidelines, I want drafters to make their selections and sway me with opinions. Bonus points will be awarded if you select my personal favourite.

Best Picture

the only difference is the pool of choices is smaller...and don't pick the crappy movie no matter how pop culture-y you think it is.

Feel free to ask me any questions here or in PM as I'm sure I'll be making comments throughout.

Blues performer- Chaos Commish

I'll follow the same basic criteria as the Jazz category. Scroll down to read but consider the following first.

Blues is sort of the father of American musical forms, so I will probably weigh influence a little heavier than pop appeal. The influence of the blues on jazz, rock, pop, and r&b is perhaps a more substantial part of the cultural story than the genre alone, so that aspect deserves consideration.

Candy- Mrs. Rannous

I'm looking for pop culture, tooth-decaying goodness here. It doesn't have to taste good. It just has to be instantly recognizable. It does need to be a name brand. I don't want generic choices like "chewing gum" or "taffy". If it is associated with popular things other than dental care (you do love your dentist, right?), so much the better. I can think of at least three top picks, and I haven't tried all that hard.

And remember, no candy bars. That's a different category.

Country Music Performer- Mr CIA

While I can be a snob, I will judge all selections through a pop culture lense. Nevertheless, schlock artisans who sell a lot of records will not do well; great country artists that are not well known will be judged even less favorably. I'm looking for people who are best known for performing songs that are deeply stitched into the fabric of the American experience. Where the rankings are very close, celebrity status will be used to create separation.

Longevity and body of work matter. One hit wonders probably won't score well. Those that had long careers but are known for only one song can rank no better than middle of the pack, if even.

Individuals vs Bands - I'm expecting individuals to be selected here. There's probably a band or two which won't merit last place.

Lastly, don't expect any surprises at the top of the rankings. The #1 pick should be VERY obvious, and I have a pretty rough idea of who will be in the 2-10 range (the final order is still quite a mystery to me). Trying to separate a lot of these will prove to be difficult.

Disney Song- timschochet

The Disney songs can be any associated with Disney movies, television, musicals, amusement parks, etc. But in this case, the songs MUST originate with Disney. Songs by teen artists signed to Disney labels are excluded; I don't want this category filled with Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez hits. Certain songs have had a large effect on our pop culture and those are the ones which will do the best.

The movies can be live action or animated, or both. I'm interested in cultural impact as well as excellence (though as always, impact comes first.) A critically acclaimed film which few people saw (relatively speaking) will not do as well as a huge hit- be forewarned.

Guns- Chaos Commish

I'm looking for models here. Many identical models are made by different manufacturers, so the model is key. I collect a "model" of handgun and have it by Colt, Kimber, Springfield Armory, and a couple more manufacturers. Choosing make and model can be advantageous or not. In quick perusing I saw one sure top tenner that should have both make and model in the draft pick. Including the make should be a no brainer in cases where beneficial. There are exceptions to needing the model in other cases you may find. Generally the make was the whole story. This will make sense after you look into a few key firearms.

Pop culture and guns is delineated between reality and fiction. Your pick will be considered in both realms. Some may be so strong in one realm, the other hardly matters, but I suspect having reality based cultural significance and fiction based may be the best choices.

I love being Amerkin and bearing arms but I have no idea yet how the top picks will sort in review. Good luck. PM me if you're confused. It's possibly that kind of category for summa yous city folk and pacifist libs.

eta: I can see how someone might draft the round instead of the gun. So don't give me calibers and draft .22 (safest example).

Jazz performer- Chaos Commish

1. Since this is a pop culture draft your selection's popularity during his/her peak and fame going forward will be important. Influence on popular culture will be judged greater than influence on jazz itself, understanding that in its heyday, jazz was a huge part of pop culture itself. Crossover appeal is also key to pop culture music icons.

There has to be some balance here where jazz contributions override certain pop appeal and that's where I'm going to nitpick.

2. Talent, reputation, strength of discography, sales numbers and influence on other musicians (jazz or not) will score fairly equal points in the nitpicking process. Longevity will be considered in that it has less to do with lifespan than how the legend lives on.

Some massive pop culture superstars had minor jazz dalliances. Elvis Presley's Almost in Love is one of my favorite obscure jazz vocals, but Elvis is NOT a jazz vocalist/musician for our purposes.

Happy to answer questions or field ideas if this doesn't seem right to any of you. I would judge a jazz draft a little differently, that's the takeaway to consider.

Jingle- Mrs. Rannous

That advertising song that gives you an earworm that just won't quit. Don't be afraid to pick the older stuff. I'm pretty familiar with jingles going back to the Fifties. Mr R thought he had the top pick until I told him what I thought might win here. If no one steps up, I'll likely take it in Round Six, so be warned. This category is wide open, so don't be shy.

Most Memorable Oscar Moment

This doesn't have to be an award, although it can be.
It can be a speech
It can be a dress/outfit
It can be a hosts monologue
It can be a streaker.
It can be a red carpet interview.
It can be a something really bad, really funny or really sad.

In otherwords, ANYTHING that has happened during an Oscar ceremony that has captured the publics imagination or interest.

This will be judged purely on my opinion of what is memorable.

There may be lists on the internet. DO NOT USE these as a guide to how I will think.
What is the first thing or few things that come to your mind regarding what has happened at an Oscars. Chances are that is a memorable moment.

Any questions?

Movie Song- timschochet

Earlier I wrote that the song had to originate with the movie. But as I looked over several lists of movie songs (primarily AFI) I see that this is too broad a restriction. There are several examples of songs that were written before the movie, sometimes for a broadway show, sometimes for an earlier film, etc. (Before anyone gets nervous or excited, I don't necessarily agree with the AFI rankings so don't rely on them- I also think they missed out on several songs I might put in my own top ten. So be warned.)

In any case, the song need NOT originate with the film. But if you want it to score well, the film needs to be the main source of the song's popularity. If I believe that another source outside of the film is really the primary source of the popularity, you will be penalized in the rankings. Here's a way to think about it: if I name a song and ask you what you associate it with, the answer had better be the movie.
For this purpose, when you make your selection in this category, you need to state both the song AND the movie. For example: I select the song, "John Smith" from the film, "John Smith, Jr."

Now let me, without spotlighting, give an example of a song that might score well, and a song that would score poorly. Let's say there's a well known musical film that is based on a Broadway show. So you select a song from that film. The key is this: when I think of that song, do I think first of the Broadway show, or do I think first of the movie? If I think first of the movie then it will score well. If I think first of the Broadway show, it won't score well. Even if the song originated with a film, I need to connect the song in my mind with that film or it won't score well. There are examples (rare) of songs that were written for an absolutely forgettable film, and then years later that song became a hit in a different venue. These will NOT do well.

Other than this, I will first measure popular culture impact as this is a pop culture draft. How good a song is will be an important factor but only after popular cultural aspects are considered.

Last: obviously the same song cannot be drafted in any of the "song" categories: movie, Disney, Broadway. There are a few that are actually eligible for all 3 categories. But you only get 1. Once it's taken it's gone.

Musical Theater Song- timschochet

Similar to the rules for movie songs, the song selected needn't originate in the musical theater, but I had better THINK about the musical theater when I consider the song. For example, if you select the song "Dancing Queen" from the hit Broadway Show "Mamma Mia!", you're going to get screwed in rankings, because when I think of that song, I don't think about Broadway. Besides, this is a rich enough category that it shouldn't be necessary for anyone to do that.

Cultural impact of showtunes is much harder to quantify than movie songs, so unless there is a very clear argument for a certain pick, mostly it's going to be judged on (a) how popular it was and (b) how good it is. Obviously my personal tastes will play some factor here, but I will consider the critics.

Many musical theater songs did not originate on Broadway; some very famous ones first appeared in London. It's perfectly fine to select these, so long as they're well known to the American public. (This general rule should be true with regard to most categories. This is not an American-exclusive draft in terms of origination, but it is an American draft in terms of audience.)

Regional Food- krista4

There are a few ways to go about this. Picks could be something that was originated and remains generally available and/or popular only in one region (and I will count a region, a state, or even a locality as a region); I have certain Southern foods in mind here. Or a pick could be something, such as chili, that is national but has variations in different regions that make it a "regional" food--in the case of these picks, you must specify which region's food you are taking.

-Picks that were once regional but are now popular on a national scale will get a plus. This is the "it would be helpful if I've heard of it" factor. Really, OH and I debated this last night, as he thinks some concoction from his hillbilly roots would be a great pick, but since I've never even heard of it, the fact that it's wildly popular in the area he grew up in doesn't count for much.

-Deliciousness is a factor, but not an overriding one.

-Uniqueness is bigger element. Something that is merely a derivation of another popular food is not going to score as well, as a general rule, as something that was created whole cloth.

-Capturing the character of the region is a factor that is hard to describe but will also be weighed in.

I think that's all I have. Happy to take any questions here or via PM.

TV Show theme- timschochet

Cultural impact is pretty nil here, so I'm going to judge this on fame and quality. In terms of fame, just ask yourself this: if you were to think of the TV show in question, does the tune immediately pop in your head, without any effort? Do you know it by heart:? If so, it's going to do well. If you're struggling to think of it, or if it's a show with a magnificent tune that nobody knows because nobody watched the show, it's not going to do well.
After fame comes quality. If there's 5 songs all equally famous, the cheesy ones will score below the ones that are actually pretty good.

If the first five want to pick, ya know since they're already ordered, that seems genius and any arguments would be the complete opposite.

Oh boy, I predict having your pick and mine right next to each other is going to lead to a lot of direct sniping.

(General Malaise @ Apr 23 2010, 04:26 PM) I fat fingered my way to friend PETA, confusing the hell out of my friends for a few minutes. I deleted it as soon as I could, then went out and ate a Bald Eagle.

If the first five want to pick, ya know since they're already ordered, that seems genius and any arguments would be the complete opposite.

Oh boy, I predict having your pick and mine right next to each other is going to lead to a lot of direct sniping.

in this particular case, I will prefer the rounds where I'm on top. (sorry)

While I've played peanut gallery in a bunch of these drafts, this will only be my third as a participant. I'm not one for strategy, but I put a little more thought into this than before, which amounts to some.

My problem isn't wanting my first pick because I'm excited, my problem is Monday. I'll be on a navy base where there are no cel phones (actually the camera is the problem) allowed.

I guess I can find someone not in the draft to take my top 6 picks, but starting over the weekend seems harmless enough. (Yes, I expect Tim to wield his mighty keyboard and nix the idea).

I've never had the 1.01. After I review and digest the categories, I'll make my selection. I'd prefer to first have some insight into what the judges are looking for, but I don't think I will see much before Monday. Surely there's a no-brainer or two to be had.
I volunteer to judge the country musicians. I'll post guidelines sometime this weekend.

[*]Redemption, underdog makes good, rags to riches, guy gets girl - need I continue.[*]Indelibly stamped images - Run up the stairs at the museum, eating raw eggs,pounding sides of beef.[*]Launched the career of one of Hollywood's biggest stars of all-time - a beautiful example of life imitating art.[*]Set the stage for sequels that grossed nearly a billion dollars.[*]Gonna Fly Now.[*]Quotable - Adrian![/list]

Now now now. Rocky is a perfectly legitimate pick. Not bad at all, in my opinion. Certainly on my short list for the category...have you looked at the Best Picture winners over the last 30 years?
OHFORGODSSAKEINEEDTOFIGUREOUTMYPICKSOONOHMYGOD.

(General Malaise @ Apr 23 2010, 04:26 PM) I fat fingered my way to friend PETA, confusing the hell out of my friends for a few minutes. I deleted it as soon as I could, then went out and ate a Bald Eagle.

OH and I have decided to have two teams, one devoted to "winning" picks and one devoted to stuff that is truly great but probably not so well known (just WAIT 'til you see the movie ending pick). So tim, please sign OH up for a slot, but you'll be forbidden to make fun of his poor draft strategy, as little we take will be purely tops in a draft (though nothing will be from Sweden).

Edited by krista4, 10 March 2012 - 12:16 AM.

(General Malaise @ Apr 23 2010, 04:26 PM) I fat fingered my way to friend PETA, confusing the hell out of my friends for a few minutes. I deleted it as soon as I could, then went out and ate a Bald Eagle.

Should be one of the easy 20s on the board. Then again, I thought the same thing about Christopher Columbus. We may end up with a judge of this category who discounts Pops' impact, though I'm not sure how that can be possible.

Unless otherwise stated, any comment or statement I make is strictly MY OPINION, and should not be taken as an implication of fact, no matter how definitive it sounds. I speak for no one but myself.

Should be one of the easy 20s on the board. Then again, I thought the same thing about Christopher Columbus. We may end up with a judge of this category who discounts Pops' impact, though I'm not sure how that can be possible.

I spent a lot of time poring over the categories last night, and I came to the conclusion there are no sure 20s in this draft, save the category I volunteered to judge, Country Musician.

Hoping you'll do some judging. Album cover should be right up your alley. Interested?

Judging 20% of the Europe one is enough now.
Remember I'm going to run the Billboard #1 Album draft soon.
If you join in that (Piece of piss really, pick one from the list that will be in the OP when you're up and you're done), then I'll do a couple here once everyone picks their favorites.

"The rich make all of the money, pay none of the taxes. The middle class pays all the taxes, does all of the work. The poor are there just to scare the #### out of the middle class." George Carlin

Should be one of the easy 20s on the board. Then again, I thought the same thing about Christopher Columbus. We may end up with a judge of this category who discounts Pops' impact, though I'm not sure how that can be possible.

I spent a lot of time poring over the categories last night, and I came to the conclusion there are no sure 20s in this draft, save the category I volunteered to judge, Country Musician.

Categories, Mr every pick I make is the best ever and any rationality goes out the window once I pick it.

"The rich make all of the money, pay none of the taxes. The middle class pays all the taxes, does all of the work. The poor are there just to scare the #### out of the middle class." George Carlin

Should be one of the easy 20s on the board. Then again, I thought the same thing about Christopher Columbus. We may end up with a judge of this category who discounts Pops' impact, though I'm not sure how that can be possible.

I spent a lot of time poring over the categories last night, and I came to the conclusion there are no sure 20s in this draft, save the category I volunteered to judge, Country Musician.

Oh I disagree. There's about 4 or 5 categories in which one pick pretty clearly should be tops. I think chili is one, and Pops is another. Your pick of Rocky is terrific, but in that category there are several films that could vie for the top selection IMO.

Unless otherwise stated, any comment or statement I make is strictly MY OPINION, and should not be taken as an implication of fact, no matter how definitive it sounds. I speak for no one but myself.

Hoping you'll do some judging. Album cover should be right up your alley. Interested?

Judging 20% of the Europe one is enough now.
Remember I'm going to run the Billboard #1 Album draft soon.
If you join in that (Piece of piss really, pick one from the list that will be in the OP when you're up and you're done), then I'll do a couple here once everyone picks their favorites.

Oh, I'll be in that draft. Sounds like fun. I like most music drafts; the only ones I generally avoid involve stuff from the last couple of decades- I just don't honestly know enough of it.

Unless otherwise stated, any comment or statement I make is strictly MY OPINION, and should not be taken as an implication of fact, no matter how definitive it sounds. I speak for no one but myself.

I'm happy to judge any categories that I don't have a top 5-7 pick in, because if I judge those, then I'll likely give myself 20 or more every time.

I think there's a few categories with obvious 20 pters, but I don't think jazz or country musicians are among them. Like judging classical in the eurodraft, jazz and country in a pop culture draft; the value of the pick is skewed by things euro and pop culture as opposed to straight classical, country or jazz drafting.

The argument for Satchmo is more convincing to me than the argument for any top country musician... I think. I'm not sure who will go #1 there yet, but I know who I think should be tops. No way we all agree on that one.

Should be one of the easy 20s on the board. Then again, I thought the same thing about Christopher Columbus. We may end up with a judge of this category who discounts Pops' impact, though I'm not sure how that can be possible.

I spent a lot of time poring over the categories last night, and I came to the conclusion there are no sure 20s in this draft, save the category I volunteered to judge, Country Musician.

Oh I disagree. There's about 4 or 5 categories in which one pick pretty clearly should be tops. I think chili is one, and Pops is another. Your pick of Rocky is terrific, but in that category there are several films that could vie for the top selection IMO.

I'm interested in Krista's criteria for regional foods, because chili is multi-regional. I'll leave it at that without spotlighting to better explain, but she could weigh the multi-region-ality of chili as positive or negative depending on her position there.

Better get my regional food judging thoughts up here since someone has already picked in the category. rikishi, given the way you posted your pick (i.e., without a regional variation specified), I suspect you and I might have a different view of what the category entails. With respect to your pick, you need to specify which region's chili you are talking about since there are some pretty significant variations between _______ chili and _______ chili. Which one are you choosing?
.
Note that not all picks would need a region specified; see below.

Judging for regional food:

-There are a few ways to go about this. Picks could be something that was originated and remains generally available and/or popular only in one region (and I will count a region, a state, or even a locality as a region); I have certain Southern foods in mind here. Or a pick could be something, such as chili, that is national but has variations in different regions that make it a "regional" food--in the case of these picks, you must specify which region's food you are taking.

-Picks that were once regional but are now popular on a national scale will get a plus. This is the "it would be helpful if I've heard of it" factor. Really, OH and I debated this last night, as he thinks some concoction from his hillbilly roots would be a great pick, but since I've never even heard of it, the fact that it's wildly popular in the area he grew up in doesn't count for much.

-Deliciousness is a factor, but not an overriding one.

-Uniqueness is bigger element. Something that is merely a derivation of another popular food is not going to score as well, as a general rule, as something that was created whole cloth.

-Capturing the character of the region is a factor that is hard to describe but will also be weighed in.

I think that's all I have. Happy to take any questions here or via PM.

(General Malaise @ Apr 23 2010, 04:26 PM) I fat fingered my way to friend PETA, confusing the hell out of my friends for a few minutes. I deleted it as soon as I could, then went out and ate a Bald Eagle.

I'm happy to judge any categories that I don't have a top 5-7 pick in, because if I judge those, then I'll likely give myself 20 or more every time.

I think there's a few categories with obvious 20 pters, but I don't think jazz or country musicians are among them. Like judging classical in the eurodraft, jazz and country in a pop culture draft; the value of the pick is skewed by things euro and pop culture as opposed to straight classical, country or jazz drafting.

The argument for Satchmo is more convincing to me than the argument for any top country musician... I think. I'm not sure who will go #1 there yet, but I know who I think should be tops. No way we all agree on that one.

Based on your posts in the recent jazz thread, I'd like you to judge this category if you're willing. You seem to have a high degree of knowledge on this subject, and that's always the most desired element.

Unless otherwise stated, any comment or statement I make is strictly MY OPINION, and should not be taken as an implication of fact, no matter how definitive it sounds. I speak for no one but myself.

Movie Theme is kinda awkward...seems like Movie Score has a little more precision.
Cannot draft as I don't have any bandwidth this month, but I might be interested in judging a category or two. 14 x 44 = 616, so that should take a 6 weeks or more. IME average in TimDrafts is around 16-18 picks per day, or 80-90 during the business week, and then another 10-15 on weekends. Sometimes goes a little faster but it's generally right around there.
Anyway, good luck and have fun all! Wish I had time, these are very fun and informative.

Edited by BobbyLayne, 10 March 2012 - 10:51 AM.

Tom Ricketts, a member of the family that owns the Chicago Cubs is often approached by elderly fans who ask, “Will the Cubs win the World Series before I die?”

His reply? “Are you taking good care of yourself? Do you eat right? Are you getting your exercise?”

Should be one of the easy 20s on the board. Then again, I thought the same thing about Christopher Columbus. We may end up with a judge of this category who discounts Pops' impact, though I'm not sure how that can be possible.

I spent a lot of time poring over the categories last night, and I came to the conclusion there are no sure 20s in this draft, save the category I volunteered to judge, Country Musician.

Oh I disagree. There's about 4 or 5 categories in which one pick pretty clearly should be tops. I think chili is one, and Pops is another. Your pick of Rocky is terrific, but in that category there are several films that could vie for the top selection IMO.

I'm interested in Krista's criteria for regional foods, because chili is multi-regional. I'll leave it at that without spotlighting to better explain, but she could weigh the multi-region-ality of chili as positive or negative depending on her position there.

We were typing at the same time. Something that is multi-regional is not what I was thinking of for this category--I interpreted the category to be purely regional--so while chili can be a good pick, it needs to be specified which chili we're talking about.

(General Malaise @ Apr 23 2010, 04:26 PM) I fat fingered my way to friend PETA, confusing the hell out of my friends for a few minutes. I deleted it as soon as I could, then went out and ate a Bald Eagle.

Looks like I was wrong about Chili. I didn't know Krista would request that it be specified. In retrospect, this makes a lot of sense. But it also means that it's not the clear top selection I thought it was. You were right, Mr. CIA!

Unless otherwise stated, any comment or statement I make is strictly MY OPINION, and should not be taken as an implication of fact, no matter how definitive it sounds. I speak for no one but myself.

Movie Theme is kinda awkward...seems like Movie Score has a little more precision.

Except that I don't think taking the entire score is necessary. When I think of a movie theme, with extremely few exceptions, I think about the main tune. I don't remember too much of anything else. It's the main tune that I want judged in this.

Unless otherwise stated, any comment or statement I make is strictly MY OPINION, and should not be taken as an implication of fact, no matter how definitive it sounds. I speak for no one but myself.